Question about Calorie deficit and activity levels

I'd sort of echo @Lietchi's comment, but in different terms: How fast have you been losing weight on average over the past 4-6 weeks?

At 165, if I were you, I wouldn't go faster than around 0.75 pounds per week, and with only 10 more pounds to lose, I would - and did - shoot for more like half a pound a week. (As context, I lost from class 1 obese to a healthy weight 9+ years ago, have stayed in a healthy weight range since.)

Researchers think we can only lose a certain limited amount of fat per day per pound of fat we have on our body. The implication, IMO, is that the lighter we are, the slower we should lose. Not only is fast loss likely to trigger more than minimum loss of muscle mass alongside fat loss, it can also do things like compromise immune system, limit exercise performance, and increase other health risks. Steep deficit for a long time can potentially reduce our calorie needs long term, making it easier to regain - our bodies tend to get good at whatever we train them to handle, including deprivation. No bueno.

On top of that, if you haven't already settled in to a set of eating and activity habits you can see yourself continuing to follow long term to stay at a healthy weight permanently, it's IMO definitely time to work on that now.

Many people find weight maintenance harder than weight loss. The new habits take experimentation to find, and practice to groove into place. I feel like it's a good idea to do that while there's still a cushion of a small calorie deficit in case of oopsies along the way. Experiments do tend to have a few oopsies. 😉

If you already have your maintenance habits practiced and in place, going into maintenance is a simple matter of adding back a few calories daily, and going on with life. There's no need for a whole other revamping or revolution in lifestyle. I think that's helpful.

Most people who lose weight regain . . . like around 80% A good, practiced plan may help us to be in the fortunate 20%.

You've done great so far - I'm wishing you continuing success!

Time is your friend but superhero efforts to lose the little bit are not necessarily your friend.

Let me explain my thoughts. I'm sure they parallel some of the above discussions. Probably because some of our personal observations are similar, even though not even close to identical.

Oh. And to confirm. The exercise adjustment you get by midnight, assuming integration is working, functionally replaces your MFP selected NEAT value with the TDEE value estimated by Garmin. Regardless of your starting selection (how much you were estimated to eat absent an adjustment) the adjusted figure at midnight will transfer over to MFP Garmin's daily tdee estimate based on your detected and logged activities on that platform.

Your "estimation of results" should be Garmin TDEE less food logged equal estimated deficit to be verified against weight trend and assigned a potential error / divergence factor for your records and adjustment considerations.

That said, and simply. You lost over a couple of years. But you're looking at a good 50 years of maintenance.

You better be / start doing now what you plan to do to maintain. And if you have a small deficit to drift downward it sure won't hurt compared to having a small or large overage to drift upward.

The biggest / best predictor for successful maintenance? Managing to maintain 2, 3, 5+ years 😜

In other words worry less about deficit and pushing down and more about DRIFTING down (and most certainly not drifting up, and more so NOT consistently spiking up!)

If it takes you a year to drift down 10lbs.... AWESOME: You've managed to rack up one more year far away from 240lbs without backsliding.

If it takes you two years? More awesome. That's two more years at reduced weight giving you additional health benefits.

Time at reduced weight is the name of the game.... at least it has been for me since I got to a similar to you mark (168 if I recall correctly).

Then a year later 157. Then a year later 155. Then three years between 154 and 156. Then down to 149 by the summer of 2020 (see about pushes even when carefully executed)... then up to 170 by 2022... then down to the 155 to 160 range by 2024. Still in the closer to 156 than 153 range.

Yes. I don't log as accurately. Yes, I'm fairly certain I can contain bounces. But no. I would be silly to ignore the potential for issues especially if relying on semi vigorous exercise--or even general activity as is my personal case.

Health and personal circumstances change. And we didn't get to the 200's by accident or _occasional_ overeating. Some of these factors we successfully change. Some still linger and can pounce.

So time is more important than pushing the loss. Bias towards losing a bit more and even trying to do so? For sure.

Cutting calories to accelerate such loss? No. Your bias should be to minimize fluctuations. Flattening the curve. Keep it all to an even keel. Keeping on keeping on. Sustainability. Choices that promote it.

That's all I have for "wisdom" to share from 10 to 20 years down the road depending on whether you're counting weight or age 😜🤷‍♂️

My experience was, my rate of loss slowed drastically the closer I got to goal.

I was becoming more fit, and it became harder to burn calories that previously were easy to burn as a heavier body. I was also lighter. I didn’t need as many calories, period, as I had while heavier.

I did a mat Pilates class last night. I haven’t done one in months, but my yoga studio is running a 20 Classes in 30 Day challenge, and I’ve only got 20 days to complete it, due to travel plans. I needed the foil star for the challenge chart. 🤷🏻‍♀️

When I was much heavier, these classes were crazy challenging to me, and I could easily turn a move ring (300 calories) with a class. Last night’s class gave me 126 calories. That’s a HUGE difference.

Likewise, you’ve seen your daily calorie goal drop as you’ve progressively gotten lighter.

I was an idiot and kept banging away at loss, til I lost too much and had to make the painful decision to gain. WTF, right?

Reevaluate your goal. While you’re on this period of slower loss, other things will be happening. Muscles showing. Thighs thinning. Strength increasing. “Firming up”.

I ultimately gained back twenty or so pounds, but didn’t gain back much in the way of size.

Some of us (me!) fail to take into account that muscle is heavier than fat.

I’m within a couple of BMI points of “overweight”. I don’t think you would look at me and think I was that heavy.

If you’re relying on charts, those are decades old and out of date. Take a good hard look at yourself in the mirror. You may be surprised to learn “hey, I’m happy right here, right now”.

It’s hard. I had (still have) body dysmorphia. Trying on new pants (I need something modest and not my usual form fitting jeggings and leggings and short summer skirts for an upcoming trip) this morning, I felt bulgy and thick in the unfamiliar style. I had to step back from the mirror and try them again later because those old feelings crept back. If you have that issue, don’t let it run your life.

You have to be able to see yourself clearly, honestly, and most of all, non-judgmentally, if you’ve been rolling like that.

Congrats on your success.

Remember my maintenance mantra: treat maintenance like you have ten pounds to lose

I like the thread that is forming in this conversation. The closer you are to goal weight, the harder it is to lose, and, quite honestly, the longer it should take to lose it. Since you are close to your goal, and actually at a new goal you set for yourself, slowing your weight loss will be helpful:

1. It allows your body to get used to the new weight, since it WILL fight you
2. It keeps you from losing muscle, and by lowering the calorie deficit (i.e., eating more), might actually allow you to put on more muscle.

I do watch my weekly weight loss, I've been at 1.5/week since I started a year ago (started at a BMI of 44, so had a lot of wiggle room.) I'm nearing the point where I will intentionally increase my calories to slow that, since I am almost to a BMI of 30. So, I'm actually planning on increasing my calorie goal as I get to the overweight category - i.e., allow myself to drift down to my goal weight once I'm under BMI of 30.

Have you ever heard the term that slow is fast😀. In weight loss that is definately the case, especially as you are nearing a normal weight!